BIOLOGICAL CONTROL

The wasp pictured above is Tetrastichus setifer, a natural enemy of the lily leaf beetle that is native to Europe. This tiny wasp does not sting humans. It lays its eggs inside the body of the lily leaf beetle larva. Upon hatching, the wasp larvae devour the beetle from the inside out. Before being introduced to North America, the wasp underwent thorough testing to be sure that it would not attack any native beetles (Haye 2000, Casagrande and Kenis 2004).

Tetrastichus setifer was introduced in New England between 1999 and 2004, and has successfully established in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine and New Hampshire (Tewksbury et al. 2005). In the summer of 2010, it was released in Ottawa, Ontario. Parasitized larvae were collected the following summer, so we know that the wasp can survive our more rigorous winters.

Other biological control agents have also been released in the US. Petitions are being prepared for their release in Canada.